Monitor screen-integrated video camera

Abstract

An address for a character generator ROM is composed of an upper readout address portion which is a character code loaded from a text memory for storing texts edited by a microcomputer and a lower readout address portion which is a value of a counter. Output data from the character generator ROM accessed by the above addresses are loaded in parallel by left-shift and right-shift registers. The output data is serialized by the left-shift register to form character pattern data, which in turn is superimposed on a video picture signal to be outputted to a VTR portion. In response to a self-image picture taking mode signal, one output is selected by a selector from the output of the left-shift register and the output of the right-shift register. The thus selected output is superimposed over the video picture signal to be delivered to a monitor screen driver circuit. The monitor screen driver circuit horizontally inverts the scanning direction in order to display a mirror-image of the picture on the monitor screen when the video camera is operated in the self-image picture taking state.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A monitor screen-integrated video camera comprising: a camera portion having a camera lens for picking up a picture of objects;   a monitor portion having a monitor screen that displays the picture taken by said camera portion;   a joint portion for joining said camera portion with said monitor portion in a relatively rotatable manner such that said camera lens and said monitor screen can both be oriented in the same direction toward an identical object or, in a normal picture-taking state, in different directions toward different objects;   a monitor driver circuit which, when said monitor screen is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state and only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward an identical object, inverts a scanning direction on said monitor screen thereby allowing said monitor screen to display an horizontally inverted mirror-image of the picture taken by said camera portion;   character code generating means for generating character codes for texts to be superimposed over said monitor screen;   text memory for storing the character codes generated by said character code generating means;   a character generator for generating character patterns corresponding to character codes supplied from said text memory;   an inverting circuit for horizontally inverting a character pattern output generated from said character generator, the inverted character pattern being for superimposition on said monitor screen when said monitor screen is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state and both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward an identical object; and   editing means for controlling the order of character codes generated by said character code generating means, such that an horizontally inverted order of arrayed character codes is supplied from said character code generating means to said text memory only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward the identical object, the arrayed characters constituting text to be displayed on said monitor screen.   
     
     
       2. A monitor screen-integrated video camera comprising: a camera portion having a camera lens for picking up a picture of objects and producing a video picture signal corresponding to the picture;   a monitor portion having a monitor screen that displays the picture taken by said camera portion;   a joint portion for joining said camera portion with said monitor portion in a relatively rotatable manner such that said camera lens and said monitor screen can both be oriented in the same direction toward an identical object or, in a normal picture-taking state, in different directions toward different objects;   a monitor driver circuit which, when said monitor screen is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state and only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward an identical object, inverts a scanning direction on said monitor screen thereby allowing said monitor screen to display an horizontally inverted mirror-image of the picture taken by said camera portion;   character code generating means for generating character codes for texts to be superimposed over said monitor screen; and   a character generator for generating character patterns corresponding to character codes supplied from said character code generating means, said character generator providing a first character pattern output which is horizontally inverted when said monitor screen is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation of in the normal picture-taking state and which can be superimposed over the video picture signal to be outputted to said monitor screen, and a second character pattern output which can be superimposed over the video picture signal to be recorded on a video tape.   
     
     
       3. A monitor screen-integrated video camera comprising: a camera portion having a camera lens for picking up a picture of objects;   a monitor portion having a monitor screen that displays the picture taken by said camera portion;   a joint portion for joining said camera portion with said monitor portion in a relatively rotatable manner such that said camera lens and said monitor screen can both be oriented in the same direction toward an identical object or, in a normal picture-taking state, in different directions toward different objects;   a monitor driver circuit which, when said monitor screen is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state and only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward an identical object, inverts a scanning direction on said monitor screen thereby allowing said monitor screen to display an horizontally inverted mirror-image of the picture taken by said camera portion; and   a superimposition controlling circuit which is able to switch a mode of characters to be outputted to said monitor screen between a horizontally inverted character output mode when said monitor screen is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state, and a non-inverted character output mode and which, as the mode is changed over, modifies the vertical display position of at least one of the characters on said monitor screen.   
     
     
       4. A monitor screen-integrated video camera comprising: a camera portion having a camera lens for picking up a picture of objects;   a monitor portion having a monitor screen that displays the picture taken by said camera portion;   a joint portion for joining said camera portion with said monitor portion in a relatively rotatable manner such that said camera lens and said monitor screen can both be oriented in the same direction toward an identical object or, in a normal picture-taking state in different directions toward different objects;   a monitor driver circuit which, when said camera portion is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state and only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward an identical object, inverts a scanning direction on said monitor screen thereby allowing said monitor screen to display an horizontally inverted mirror-image of the picture taken by said camera portion;   character code generating means for generating character codes for texts to be superimposed over said monitor screen;   a character generator for generating character patterns corresponding to character codes supplied from said character code generating means;   an inverting circuit for vertically inverting a character pattern output generated from said character generator; and   a signal adding circuit for selectively superimposing the inverted character pattern over the picture to be displayed on said monitor screen when said camera portion is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state.   
     
     
       5. A monitor screen-integrated video camera comprising: a camera portion having a camera lens for picking up a picture of objects and producing a video picture signal corresponding to the picture;   a monitor portion having a monitor screen that displays the picture taken by said camera portion;   a joint portion for joining said camera portion with said monitor portion in a relatively rotatable manner such that said camera lens and said monitor screen can both be oriented in the same direction toward an identical object or, in a normal picture-taking state, in different directions toward different objects;   a monitor driver circuit which, when said camera portion is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state and only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward an identical object, inverts a scanning direction on said monitor screen thereby allowing said monitor screen to display an horizontally inverted mirror-image of the picture taken by said camera portion;   character code generating means for generating character codes for texts to be superimposed over said monitor screen; and   a character generator for generating character patterns corresponding to character codes supplied from said character code generating means, said character generator providing a first character pattern output which is vertically inverted when said camera portion is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state and which can be superimposed over the video picture signal to be outputted to said monitor screen, and a second character pattern output which can be superimposed over the video picture signal to be recorded on a video tape.   
     
     
       6. A monitor screen-integrated video camera comprising: a camera portion having a camera lens for picking up a picture of objects;   a monitor portion having a monitor screen that displays the picture taken by said camera portion;   a joint portion for joining said camera portion with said monitor portion in a relatively rotatable manner such that said camera lens and said monitor screen can both be oriented in the same direction toward an identical object or, in a normal picture-taking state, in different directions toward different objects;   a monitor driver circuit which, when said camera portion is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state and only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward an identical object, inverts a scanning direction on said monitor screen thereby allowing said monitor screen to display an horizontally inverted mirror-image of the picture taken by said camera portion; and   a superimposition controlling circuit which is able to switch a mode of characters to be outputted to said monitor   screen between a vertically inverted character output mode when said camera portion is vertically inverted as compared to its orientation in the normal picture-taking state, and a non-inverted character output mode and which, as the mode is changed over, modifies the vertical display positions of characters on said monitor screen.   
     
     
       7. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 2, further comprising a signal adding circuit for superimposing the first character generator output over the video picture signal only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward the identical object. 
     
     
       8. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 2, further comprising a signal adding circuit for selectively superimposing the first character pattern or a non-horizontally inverted character pattern over the video picture signal provided to said monitor screen. 
     
     
       9. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 8, wherein said signal adding circuit superimposes the first character generator output only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented in the same direction toward the identical object. 
     
     
       10. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 3, wherein said superimposition controlling circuit switches the mode of characters to be outputted to said monitor screen in response to the position of said monitor portion relative to said camera portion. 
     
     
       11. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 10, wherein the superimposition controlling circuit switches to the horizontally inverted character output mode only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward the identical object. 
     
     
       12. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 4, wherein said signal adding circuit superimposes the inverted character pattern over the picture to be displayed on said monitor screen only when there is a predetermined orientation of the camera portion relative to the monitor portion. 
     
     
       13. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 4, wherein said signal adding circuit superimposes the inverted character pattern over the picture to be displayed on said monitor screen only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward the identical object. 
     
     
       14. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 4, wherein said signal adding circuit superimposes the non-vertically inverted character patterns generated by said character generator over the picture to be displayed on said monitor when said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward different objects. 
     
     
       15. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 5, further comprising, a signal adding circuit for superimposing the first character pattern over the video picture signal only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward the identical object.   
     
     
       16. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 5, wherein the second character generator output is non-vertically inverted, and further comprising: a signal adding circuit for selectively superimposing the first character pattern or a non-vertically inverted character pattern over the video picture signal provided to said monitor screen.   
     
     
       17. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 16, wherein said signal adding circuit superimposes the first character pattern or the non-vertically inverted character pattern over the video picture signal in response to the orientation of the camera portion relative to said monitor portion. 
     
     
       18. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 17, further comprising: detecting means for detecting the orientation of said camera portion relative to said monitor portion and producing a detection signal; and   a controller responsive to the detection signal for controlling the signal adding circuit to superimpose the first character pattern or the non-vertically inverted character pattern over the video picture signal provided to said monitor screen.   
     
     
       19. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 6, wherein said superimposition controlling circuit switches the mode of characters to be outputted to said monitor screen in response to the position of said monitor portion relative to said camera portion. 
     
     
       20. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 19, wherein the superimposition controlling circuit switches to the vertically inverted character output mode only when both said camera lens and said monitor screen are oriented toward the identical object. 
     
     
       21. A monitor screen-integrated video camera comprising: a camera portion having a camera lens for picking up a picture of objects and producing a picture signal corresponding to the picture;   a monitor portion having a monitor screen for displaying the picture signal;   a joint portion for joining said camera portion and said monitor portion such that said monitor portion can be adjustably positioned relative to said camera portion;   character pattern generator means for generating a character pattern for superimposition over the picture signal to be displayed on the monitor screen;   first detecting means for detecting whether a position of the monitor portion relative to the camera portion is within a predetermined range of positions, and for producing a first position signal indicating that the position of the monitor portion relative to the camera portion is within the predetermined range;   a monitor driver circuit for controlling the direction of scanning on said monitor screen based upon the first position signal such that the picture signal is displayed on said monitor screen as an image or as an inverted image;   second detecting means for detecting whether the orientation of the monitor portion relative to gravity is within a second predetermined range of positions, and for producing a second position signal indicating that the orientation of the monitor relative to gravity is within the second predetermined range;   inversion means, responsive to the first and second position signals, for superimposing an inverted form of the character pattern generated by said character generator means over the picture signal to be displayed on the monitor screen.   
     
     
       22. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 21, wherein the superimposed inverted form of the character pattern is an horizontally inverted form of the character pattern generated by said character generator means. 
     
     
       23. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 22, wherein said inversion means includes: a superimposition controlling circuit having a shift register for providing the horizontally inverted character pattern; and   a microcomputer responsive to the first position signal for determining whether the horizontally inverted character pattern is to be superimposed over the picture signal, and, if so, for controlling said superimposition controlling circuit to superimpose the horizontally inverted form of the character pattern over the picture signal to be displayed on the monitor screen.   
     
     
       24. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 21, wherein the superimposed inverted form of the character pattern is a vertically inverted form of the character pattern generated by said character generator means. 
     
     
       25. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 24, wherein said inversion means includes: a superimposition controlling circuit having a shift register for providing the vertically inverted character pattern; and   a microcomputer responsive to the first position signal for determining whether the vertically inverted character pattern is to be superimposed over the picture signal, and, if so, for controlling said superimposition controlling circuit to superimpose the vertically inverted form of the character pattern over the picture signal to be displayed on the monitor screen.   
     
     
       26. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 21, wherein said second detecting means includes a gravitational direction detecting means for producing the second position signal. 
     
     
       27. The monitor screen-integrated video camera of claim 26, wherein the first detecting means includes a position detecting switch which produces the first position signal. 
     
     
       28. A method for controlling the superimposition of characters in a monitor screen-integrated video camera having a camera portion and a monitor portion, the orientation of the camera portion being adjustable relative to the monitor portion, the monitor portion having a monitor screen, the method comprising the steps of: (a) producing a picture signal corresponding to a picture to be displayed on the monitor screen;   (b) detecting whether the monitor screen is upright or upside down relative to gravity;   (c) generating characters to be superimposed on the monitor screen and storing the characters at addresses identifying locations in a text memory, the addresses being dependent upon whether the monitor screen is detected to be upright or upside down in said step (b);   (d) generating a character pattern corresponding to the generated characters stored in the text memory for superimposition over the picture signal to be displayed on the monitor screen;   (e) detecting whether the camera portion has been adjusted to an orientation within a predetermined range of orientations relative to the monitor portion;   (f) superimposing an inverted form of the character pattern of said step (d) over the picture signal to be displayed on the monitor screen only when the orientation of the camera portion relative to the monitor portion is detected to be within the predetermined range of orientations; and   (g) inverting a scanning direction of the picture signal with superimposed character pattern from said step (f) onto the monitor screen when the monitor screen is detected in said step (b) to be upside down.   
     
     
       29. The method for controlling the superimposition of characters in a monitor screen-integrated video camera according to claim 28, wherein said step (f) further includes the step of: (f') superimposing a non inverted form of the character pattern of said step (d) over the picture signal to be displayed on the monitor screen when the orientation of the camera portion relative to the monitor portion is detected to be not within the predetermined range of orientations.